As a Texas governor and presidential candidate, Rick Perry has repeatedly turned to the marketplace for policy solutions to health care and retirement security.

But as a private citizen, Mr. Perry has generally relied on the government.

Mr. Perry is a member of what the Texas Employees Retirement System calls “the elected class,” which enjoys the kind of lucrative pension benefits that have all but disappeared from the private sector.

As a member, Mr. Perry, 61, could have retired at age 50 with lifetime health care paid for by the state. To the annoyance of his opponents, he is still in office — and every year he stays will benefit him in the long run.

If Mr. Perry retires at the end of his current term, in January 2015, he would be eligible to collect as much as $119,025 a year, according to calculations based on 30 years of elective service and optional provisions. He will also receive Social Security, which could swell his total public pension benefits to more than $140,000 annually. READ MORE